BIG SANDY, Texas--The Christian Leadership Academy is on
the move again. For two years the academy has organized and conducted campaigns
in U.S. and Canadian cities. But beginning in November in four locations
in Arkansas it plans to conduct classes of the new Christian Leadership
Academy School of Evangelism.

Church of God member Alfred Harrell of Hot Springs, founder
and president of the CLA, visited Big Sandy Aug. 28 and talked about the
new expanded CLA.

Classes will take place in Little Rock, Newport, Malvern
and Warren, Ark., and will follow a curriculum of seven "levels."
The objective is to teach "evangelism," but students may enroll
in classes in several subjects that range from debate to business communication.
Each of the seven levels will run for three months. A student completing
all seven will have taken two years of classes at the rate of one three-hour
evening session per week.

"If you go through most religious schools, you are
expected to teach everything that a school believes, which is its doctrinal
beliefs," said Dr. Harrell. "Our goal is to operate a school that
does not teach doctrine but will lead a student toward the pursuit of truth."

The school was founded and will be run by Sabbatarian Christians.
But anyone may enroll, including Sunday-observant Christians.

"I came to the conclusion some time ago," said
Dr. Harrell, "that Sunday-keepers are not our enemy. In evangelizing,
in sharing the truth, we find that Sunday-keepers, although they do not
understand the truth of the Sabbath, have certain aspects of understanding
that, in some cases, we do not have. They are not our enemy. Our enemy is
Satan, not Sunday-keepers."

Classes will include Introduction to Leadership, Speech
Communication, Mass Communication, Spiritual Gifts, Psychology, Community
Involvement, Leadership and the Four Gospels, Theory of Logic, Principles
of Debate, and Pursuit of Truth.

Regarding the latter, Dr. Harrell said the pursuer of truth
"should not accept the things that are deceitful. We want to create
people who are pursuers of truth, not pursuers of doctrinal beliefs, because,
if you become a pursuer of doctrinal beliefs, then you perpetuate those
doctrines that are not true from generation to generation.

"But, if you create a generation of people who pursue
truth, then those doctrines that are not true will go by the wayside."

The Journal asked Dr. Harrell for examples of doctrines
that would have been better dropped off by the wayside.

He cited the old Worldwide Church of God's doctrine of
church eras because "there was no basis for it" and because it
"caused a lot of pain."

He said the church-era teaching hurt people because it
furthered a caste system.

"Those who believed it found themselves in a position
of feeling like they were better than others because they were always part
of the best era. It was a doctrine that fostered a judgmental attitude."

Another old WCG teaching Dr. Harrell didn't like is the
concept that Joe church member didn't have an active role to play when it
came to the church's evangelistic efforts.

"The Bible shows that down through the ages God used
individuals as tools in the process of His calling other individuals. But
the WCG took an approach that took people out of the process. Even to this
day it is hard to get someone who has a WCG background to get involved in
personal evangelism--or evangelism on any level."

Academy classes will be open to folks of any age, beginning
in late teenage. But Dr. Harrell expects most students will be from 30 to
50 years old. The classes are designed and will be conducted so people with
jobs and careers can attend.

Of course, for the time being it will help if a prospective
student lives in Arkansas or is willing to move there.

Later Dr. Harrell hopes to have "satellite" CLA
locations in several other states.

"If you want to be a biologist or accountant, then
this school's not for you," he said. "There are universities out
there doing a good job at teaching those courses. This is a school of evangelism.
It is for people who want help in acquiring the tools to fulfill Jesus'
admonition to preach the gospel to the world."

Dr. Harrell sees the goals of the CLA as congruous with
the goals of the new Churches of God Evangelistic Association (see "Oklahoma
Pastor Seeks Wide Support for Significant COG Gospel-Preaching Efforts,"
page 1). The new association plans to join with the CLA during the Feast
in October in San Antonio, Texas, to conduct a CLA-designed campaign in
that city in cooperation with the San Antonio Church of God, pastored by
Julian Cruz.